Slab gripping device



J. E. FRAME SLAB GRIPPING DEVICE Dec. 26, 1950 Filed Aug. 21, 1945 2Sheets-Sheet 1 NEE Dec. 26, 1950 J; E. FRAME 2,535,911

SLAB GRIPPING DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FWEIJ- FIG. 4-5/ FIEE.

I! if 1% 46 [mm afar:

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 SLAB GRIPPING Davies John E. Frame, Gary, Ind.,assigncr to Carnegie- Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of NewJersey Application August 21, 1945, Serial No. 611,769

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in gripping devices for slabs andthe like.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced with the gripping devicesmounted on peels for transferring large steel slabs into and out ofheating furnaces. Frequently slabs are not held securely and tend todrop from the gripping device, and at other times, due to the heat ofthe furnace and other causes, the gripper becomes bound and does notproperly release the slab. This causes a large overload on the motor,frequently resulting in failure thereof.

It is accordingly among the objects of the present invention to providea dependable slab gripping device which will securely grip and holdslabs being transferred in and out of slab heating furnaces.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a slab grippingdevice which will not bind due to heat or application of grippingforces.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a slabgripping device which is simple in design and inexpensive to operate.

The foregoing and further objects will be apparent from thespecification and drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail, partly in section of the screw andmounting therefor;

Figure 4 is an enlarged section of the ratchet or overload clutch;

Figure 5 is a partial elevation of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the spherical abuttingsurfaces between the screw and reciprocable jaw; and

Figure '7 is a vertical cross-section on line VII-VII of Figure 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawing. the numeral 2 designates apeel bracket carried by suitable ram or crane for lifting slabs andmoving them in or out of a heating furnace. The peel consists of aframework or housing 4 having a slideway 6 at the outer end thereof onwhich there is fixedly secured an outer jaw 8 and a loosely mountedreciprocable inner jaw ID. A screw I2 is flexibly connected to the jawl0 and with spherical abutting surfaces l4 between the end of the screwand the jaw. An enlarged or elongated slot I6 is provided in the screwadjacent the end thereof for reception of a bolt l8. Due to the loosemounting of the jaw ID on slideway 6, the spherical surfaces between thejaw and screw, and the elongated slot in the screw, relative motionbetween the jaw and the slideway and screw is permitted in order thatthe jaw may accommodate itself to the contour of a slab being grippedthereby.

A sleeve nut 29 is mounted within a nut housing 32 of the framework 4.The nut 28 has an annular shoulder 24 around the mid-portion on which issecurely mounted a gear 26. Thrust bearings 28 are provided on eitherside of the shoulder 24 to prevent relative longitudinal movementbetween the sleeve nut 20 and the housing 32. A bushing 30 is providedaround the sleeve nut 29 So as to permit rotation thereof in the nuthousing 32. The bushing 30, thrust bearings 23 and sleeve nut 2!] areheld together as a unit by nut housing caps 22, which are bolted to thenut housing 32.

A pinion 34 on shaft 36 engages the gear 26. Shaft 36 is journaled inthe framework 4 at its outer end, and in a pedestal 40 at its inner end.A ratchet gear 42 is rotatably mounted on a hub 44 at the outer end ofthe shaft 36, and a bushing 46 is provided between the ratchet gear 42and hub 44. A motor-driven pinion 48 engages the ratchet gear 42. Aratchet wheel 5|] is mounted around the hub 44 and held against sideteeth 52 of the ratchet gear 42 by springs 54 acting through bolts 56.Motor pinion 48 is suitably connected to a reversible motor 58.

This ratchet or overload clutch arrangement prevents overloading of themotor 58, and the flexible mounting of the jaw I0 on slideway 6,together with the loose connection between the jaw I B and screw l2,prevents binding of the screw H2 in the sleeve nut 20. Accordingly, thedesired power can be efl'iciently applied to the movable jaw Ill tosecurely grip a slab, and at the same time the flexible mounting of andconnection to the jaw Ii! prevents binding thereof and permits readyrelease of the slab.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for thepurpose of illustration and description and that various other forms maybe devised within the scope of my invention, as defined in the appendedclaims.

I c'laimi 1. A slab gripping device comprising a frame, an outwardlyextending arm on said frame, a jaw fixedly mounted on said arm adjacentthe outer end thereof, a reciprocable jaw loosely mounted on said arm inopposed relation to said fixed jaw, a screw mounted on said frame inalignment with said reciprocable jaw, said reciprocable jaw having abore terminating in a spherical surface in alignment with said screw,the head of said screw being disposed in said bore and having aspherical end adapted to engage the spherical end of said bore, a slotin said head and a pin in said reciprocable jaw extending through saidslot to permit relative motion between said reciprocable jaw and saidscrew to permit said reciprocable jaw to accommodate itself to aworkpiece gripped thereby and to prevent binding of the jaw or of thescrew.

2. A slab gripping device comprising a frame, an outwardly extending armon said frame, a jaw fixedly mounted on said arm adjacent the outer endthereof, a reciprocable jaw loosely mounted on said arm in opposedrelation to said fixed jaw, a screw mounted on said frame in alignmentwith said reciprocable jaw, said reciprocable jaw having a boreterminating in a spherical surface in alignment with said screw, thehead of said screw being disposed in said bore and having a sphericalend adapted to engage the spherical end of said bore, a slot in saidhead and a pin in said reciprocable jaw extending through said slot topermit relative motion between said reciprocable jaw and said screw topermit said reciprocable jaw to accommodate itself to a workpiecegripped thereby and to prevent binding of the jaw or of the screw andmeans to operate said screw, said means comprising an elongated sleevenut engaging said screw and journaled on said frame, a gear centrallydisposed on said sleeve nut, thrust hearings on each side of said gearand means for turning said gear.

JOHN E. FRAME.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 681,065 Mears Aug. 20, 1901698,768 Wales Apr. 29, 1902 717,053 Taylor Dec. 30, 1902 1,009,609Wenneborg, Jr. Nov. 21, 1911 1,259,023 Kendall Mar. 12, 1918 2,206,177Foss July 2, 1940

